Photograph by: Enric Sala, National Geographic
November 15, 2021
COP26 was the moment countries revisited climate pledges made made under the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Six years ago, countries were asked to make changes to keep global warming "well below" 2C - and to try to aim for 1.5C.
COP stands for "Conference of the Parties", and the one in Glasgow was the 26th annual summit. Ahead of it, 200 countries were asked for their plans to cut emissions by 2030.
The goal is to keep cutting emissions until they reach net zero by mid-century.
November 7, 2021
Since 1994 the United Nations (UN) has convened almost every country on Earth for an annual summit known as the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
This year's two-week 26th meeting, COP26, is described as "the most significant climate event since the 2015 Paris Agreement" which committed nations to limiting global warming to well below 2°C (preferably 1.5°C), and "the world's best and last chance to get runaway climate change under control."
United States President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo were among the 200 world leaders attending the first two days of the conference in Glasgow, Scotland.
Malaysia is ably represented by the savvy Secretary-General of the Water and Environment Ministry Datuk Seri Dr Zaini Ujang.
The conspicuous absence of more senior representation, though, seemed to many a sign that Malaysians were nonchalant about the event. That is, until a big headline appeared saying that more than 100 world leaders had promised to end and reverse deforestation by 2030.
November 3, 2021
Reversing nature loss by 2030, while also halving greenhouse gas emissions this decade, is critical to avoid climate catastrophe. Nature can contribute up to a third of the climate action needed over the next decade, along with measurable benefits for biodiversity and people.
COP26 is the biggest moment for forests and nature since the Paris Agreement in 2015. Glasgow is producing the largest ever financial incentives for protecting forests, with unprecedented commitments from donor nations, investors and companies.
Yesterday, more than 30 leading financial institutions, collectively with over US$ 8.7 trillion in assets under management, committed to tackle agricultural commodity-driven deforestation as part of broader efforts to drive the global shift towards sustainable production and nature-based solutions.
On top of that, more than 100 government leaders representing over 85% of the world’s forests committed to halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation by 2030, a pledge that was backed by $12 billions of public fund and more than $7 billion of private commitments, including exciting initiatives like the LEAF Coalition, the Natural Capital Investment Alliance and the Finance for the Amazon, Cerrado and Chaco (IFACC) initiative.
